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Money for STAMP Means Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

For so many years, the Rochester Region was on the bottom of the list for dollars from Albany -- and in many ways, we still are. But the recent budget compromise in Albany is an example of what happens when we get together as a region to make things happen.

There's $33 million bucks in there for infrastructure and land acquisition for something called the STAMP project in Genesee County.

To most people, STAMP is something you put on a letter to your grandmother. But in this case, it's Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park. And, it means jobs, jobs, jobs. Probably 1,500 or 1,600 in the very short term -- maybe as many as 10,000 -- yeah, that's thousand with a 10 in front of it -- over a half dozen years to a decade.

That's 10,000 families who need houses, cars, groceries, shoe shines. That's real economic development. This, along with the incredible strides we are making at Eastman Business Park means things are about to turn around for us. STAMP and EBP have something very interesting in common -- they each cover about 1,200 acres -- that's 2,400 acres of prime, high tech land with fresh water (remember what we said about the Eastside Water Treatment Plant being great for economic development?!?!?!?) -- a trained workforce, grads from 57 colleges and universities, affordable housing and cheap hydro-power. THose are some of the best sites east of the Mississippi -- maybe even the country.

So what is it? A New word for me: nanotechnology and semiconductors. In Albany, their effort added over 2,000 jobs already at Global Foundries -- along with another 1,000 or so to sub-contractors.

STAMP COULD mean, between $30 billion and $50 billion in long term business investment. That's "illion" with a "B"!!!!

There's a lot of people who are heroes here. Let me start with Mark Peterson, CEO OF Greater Rochester Enterprises -- the guy who puts these deals together and then brings business here to fill them. Without his efforts, this just plain doesn't happen. And, let's not forget Assemblyman Joe Morelle -- MAJORITY LEADER in the NYS Assembly and close confidant of Governor Cuomo. Thanks to their partnership, we got what we needed.

Lest we forget to toot my own horn a little -- UNICON has been a big supporter and proponent behind the scenes here, as has the Rochester Community Coalition under the able leadership of Sandy Parker, and finally, the Rochester Building and Construction Trades Council and its President, Dave Young, who worked closely with our Union partners to the West to help bring it home.

If you look outside on this last day of March Monday morning, it looks pretty nice and bright out there. So does the future for our community and our region.